Colchester Borough Council is about to commence a consultation on its current waste and recycling service. Borough residents are being asked for their views to help Colchester Borough Council consider how best to reduce waste and increase recycling in the coming years.
All residents are invited to give their views through the online survey at www.colchester.gov.uk/recyclingsurvey between Monday 7 March and 5pm Friday 3 June 2016.
Help to complete the survey is available at free Online Skills events across the borough listed at www.colchester.gov.uk/go-online . Residents with accessibility needs can request assistance from a Customer Advisor at the Community Hub in the town centre.
From 7 March to 29 March and Monday 9 May to Friday 3 June selected homes across the borough with kerbside or communal bin collections will also be visited. Face to face feedback on recycling and waste collections will be gathered from around 1,000 residents.
Home visits will take place borough-wide between 9am and 8pm, Monday to Saturday to households representative of Colchester’s demographic mix.
All survey responses will be used to help the Council understand what residents think including: satisfaction with the type and number of containers used for home storage and collection of waste and recycling; frequency of collections; and ideas for improvement that would help residents send less waste to landfill and recycle more. Household characteristics, including number of residents at the property and availability of outdoor and container storage areas, will also be gathered.
The consultation is part of a full review of the Council’s waste and recycling service including considering different collection methods and best practice nationally.
The West Bergholt Litter Warriors next outing to clean up our streets takes place this Saturday, 5th March, meeting at 10am at the Orpen Hall. This is a ‘special’ event as part of the “Clean for the Queen” Spring Clean. Please join us litter-picking around the village, we do it once a month – it’s only an hour and can make such a difference. All equipment will be provided. There is an award scheme available for junior volunteers.
Clean for The Queen is a campaign to clear up Britain in time for Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday, which will be officially celebrated in June 2016.
When she came to the throne litter was not the problem that it is today. Food packaging, plastic bottles, takeaway meals and cigarette butts have all contributed to a growing menace that affects our wildlife, streets, countryside and sense of pride. What better way could we show our gratitude to Her Majesty than to clean up our country?
We are calling on individuals, volunteer groups, local councils, businesses and schools to do their bit. You can start now and also take part in our Clean for The Queen weekend on March 4th, 5th and 6th 2016. Please register your interest here and we will help you to Clean for The Queen.
Further dates
Saturday April 2nd
Saturday May 7th
Seen a Grot Spot that needs tidying? Let us know, on the Grot Spot Hotline below!
The morning of Saturday 27 February was cold, dank and a bit dismal – not at all inviting. So naturally 15 people turned out for the 2016 Winter Birds guided walk in Hillhouse Wood, West Bergholt. This was the largest number that I can recall for this walk. It is one of the most variable of the ones I lead, both in terms of what we see and how many attend. One year there was just two of us. I was glad to see that Linda Firmin, Jo’s widow, had turned up, as if there is anything to see she will spot it.
One of the curiosities of these walks is that the spot at which we congregate can produce as many birds as anywhere else on the walk. And so it proved to be this year. While we were waiting (and no one was paying any attention to birds), I could hear Mistle Thrush, Greenfinch, Robin, Jackdaw, Chaffinch and Dunnock all either singing or calling. This is also one of the better places to see one of the local Buzzards (how nice that phrase sounds!) over Stitchings Wood, although we were not favoured with a sighting on this walk. They probably thought the weather was too uninviting.
The track to the wood did not produce much more than we had seen at the old church, just one or two Great and Blue Tits. As I have done more of these walks I’ve learned that one of the things I can do when there’s not much to see on the day is to talk about what you can see at other times at various points. So along the track non-existent Yellowhammers and Meadow Pipits came to my rescue, along the lines of ‘during summer, this is a good place to see ….. (believe me, honest!)’.
Tom Heap viewing the ‘Countryfile Tree’ after application of BioChar by Air Spade to help stave off Ash Dieback
As we entered the wood I was able to point out the now famous (to me, at any rate) ‘Countryfile tree’, around which Tom Heap had demonstrated how air spading with biochar could be a potential solution to the Ash Dieback disease. In fact the fruits of his labours to disturb the soil were still evident. Fortunately a good number of the group were Countryfile fans and had seen this piece in the previous week’s programme. Andrew Savage, the Chair of the Friends, was also able to point out the work done by the previous work party to clear Reedmace from the top pond. It is a constant battle to keep part of the pond clear; the best we can do is aim for a ‘score draw’.
The wood was relatively quiet, bird wise, so the ‘this is a good place to see’ technique was deployed a few more times, as various absent wild flowers, Nuthatches, Siskins and Nightingales came to my rescue. One of the oddities of winter wood birdwatching is that all can be quiet one moment, and then suddenly the wood becomes alive as a travelling band of birds moves through right where you are. If only I could predict when and where this will happen! Eventually we came across such a band, albeit a small one. Great, Blue and Long tailed tits were seen. And then, the hoped for highlight of the walk, not one but two Nuthatches. I’ve mentioned before how these moved into the wood about four years ago, having been absent for at least the thirty years I’ve been here. So it’s always great to see them, and they are a lively and attractive bird to see, to boot. Luckily these two provided relatively close and clear views, although they clearly hadn’t read the books about how they run down a tree (to avoid direct competition with Treecreepers, which run upwards). These two were running both up and down – that’s cheating, in my book.
The wood had one more pleasure to show us: in the tops of the Alders by the stream there were no Siskins (even for Linda’s sharp eyes), but we did spot a Goldcrest high up in the tops (if you see a ‘Wren’ that high above the ground, odds on it’s a Goldcrest). And so back to the old church, and then to a much more inviting hot cup of tea and radiator!
The first guided walk of the year at Hillhouse Wood takes place this coming weekend (Saturday 27th February), when Steve Hallam leads the Winter Bird Walk 2016. Walkers, who should meet at the Old Church at 10am (weather permitting), wearing stout footwear and warm clothing, can expect to see a range of resident woodland and meadow species as well as some winter visitors. You are also advised to bring a flask of hot drink with you.
Dawn Chorus walks in previous years have seen as many as 20 species registered, most being native, so who knows how many you might see with the added ‘winter visitors’?
Following Colchester Borough Council’s recently launched volunteer litter picking scheme “Litter Warriors”, West Bergholt now has its very own branch. Please join us litter-picking around the village, once a month – it’s only an hour and can make such a difference. All equipment will be provided. There is an award scheme available for junior volunteers.
West Bergholt is a beautiful place, let’s keep it that way!
Seen a Grot Spot that needs tidying? Let us know, on the Grot Spot Hotline below!
Litter Picking Dates for Spring:
Meet outside Orpen Hall on the 1st Saturday each month at 10am.
Saturday February 6th
Saturday March 5th (Special Clean Up for the Queen Event)
Returning for it’s tenth year, Colchester Borough Council have 2016 free trees and fruit bushes to give away in its popular Trees for Years giveaway. The free plants are available to Colchester Borough residents, community groups and parish councils. Residents can collect up to three plants per household and up to 15 per community group, school or parish council.
If you are unsure about which plants would be suitable for your garden, members of the Parks Department will be available to give advice on which plants would be suitable for different size gardens. There will also be a useful pamphlet giving care guidelines, the following is for the 2015 event which has some of this years plants as well:
The 2016 bare root trees and fruit bushes will be available on a first come first served basis.
Trees must be planted on private property. Postcodes will be recorded to monitor the distribution.
The event takes place on Saturday 30 January, from 10am to 1pm, in the car park of Colchester Borough Council’s offices at Rowan House, in Sheepen Road, Colchester.
Trees for Years has previously been funded through sponsorship by OfficeIS, but CBC are looking for new sponsors for future years.
It’s now twenty one years since the Friends was formed and, since then, they have worked closely with this piece of ancient woodland and the Woodland Trust. The 21st AGM of the Friends of Hillhouse Wood will be held on Wednesday 9th December in the Orpen Hall, Lexden Road, starting at 7:30pm.
We are happy for anyone to attend our AGM so, even if you are not a member, just turn up. The only thing you won’t be able to do is vote! As well as an illustrated talk you’ll hear about what’s been going on in the wood over the last year. This includes the various public events as well as the achievements of the working parties.
Following the formal business there will be an illustrated talk by Darren Tansley, Water for Wildlife Officer for Essex Wildlife Trust, on the subject of “The Mammals of Essex”.
“Mammals of Essex” is the subject of the talk being given at the Friends AGM
Any enquiries for more information to M.R. Pluck, Honorary Secretary, on 01206 514173.
In mid-October, I led the third of our Autumn Fruits walks. These walks focus on berries and nuts, but also cover whatever else we find along the way. Thirteen people came on the walk this year, which was pleasing bearing in mind the uninviting weather at the time.
Nature predictable?
It might reasonably be thought that, as this walk is primarily plant-based, the same things would be seen each year. Indeed this is what I had anticipated. However, it transpires that nature and predictability are not natural ‘fellow travellers’. This year this worked slightly to our disadvantage, as several finds in 2014 were absent this time. Chief among these was a spectacular display of wild hops, of which there was now no sign at all. White bryony was another fruit that could not be found. In general, the numbers of berries were lower than in the two previous years. The haws and hips were relatively thin in the hedgerows, as were the delicate Spindle tree berries. The blackberries of the Dogwood were nearly completely absent; in fact, it was only through diligent searching by party members that a few were found.
Historic references
Despite these absences, the area in and around Hillhouse Wood is so productive that we still ran out of time before we had stopped to see and talk about all the berries, nuts and flowers that are visible at this time of year. The walk pays most attention to aspects of the countryside such as the ways in which plants were once used by people, how they can indicate the line of historic boundaries, the mythological beliefs that were associated with certain plants, and the tricks they use to survive. Flowers such as the humble and unspectacular looking Yarrow or St. John’s wort were once important to previous generations, used to cure ailments and protect crops from disease.
Our two Guelder rose shrubs put on their normal spectacular display, while the Ivy berries were maturing in their normal abundance. Of the two, the latter were of much greater use to people, and have more interesting stories to tell. One of its uses was to protect households from malicious goblins, especially at Christmas time.
Yams?
Blackberries have been abundant this year, although largely over by now. We were also able to find Woody nightshade and the related Black nightshade, the former a climber but the latter an upright herbaceous plant of disturbed ground. Two strands of Black bryony were found, the only member of the Yam family to grow in Britain. A few Holly berries were tucked away, and one Honeysuckle plant which was simultaneously showing berries and flowers. In the wood, the Sweet chestnuts had produced their normal heavy crop of well-protected nuts.
So, all in all, we had a very successful walk which I trust everyone enjoyed.
Travellers currently camping in Eight Ash Green near the Holiday Inn Hotel are expected to be moving on this weekend. Having already been moved on from Stanway it is probable that they will be looking for another site in the area.
Borough & Parish Councillors advise all to be aware of this possibility and to pay special attention to securing their property against possible incursion over the coming days.
The Parish Council would like to thank all of the volunteers, who kindly gave up their time to assist with the West Bergholt Hand in Hand Day.
The volunteers who came to help on the day joined the Colchester Borough Community Zone Team. The street sweepers were out most of the day, clearing all of the major and minor roads. Litter picking was conducted around the Orpen Hall, along Hall Road, Colchester Road and by the allotments. Paths were strimmed and cleared of debris, making them easier to use.
This has all helped contribute to maintaining West Bergholt as a clean and pleasant place to live.
Recycling & Waste Consultation
